Solder bumps are widely used in the bonding of integrated circuit components. To bond the integrated circuit components, solder bumps are placed between, and are electrically coupled to bond pads of, the integrated circuit components. A reflow is then performed to melt the solder bumps. The reflow may be performed by heating the integrated circuit components, for example, using a heater, to a temperature higher than the melting temperature of solder bumps. The solder bumps are then solidified by blowing cold air to the integrated circuit components, wherein the cold air may be blown from opposite directions of the integrated circuit components. The reflow of solder bumps are often used in flip-chip bonding.
Solder bumps are often subject to cracking, for example, due to thermal cycles. The cracking of solder bumps result in the performance and the reliability of integrated circuits to be degraded.